Luminaire



W. E. KUHRT Jan. 24, 1956 LUMINAIRE Filed Dec. 19, 1950 INVENTOR.

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LUMINAIRE Weinreich E. Kuhrt, Newark, N. J.

Application December 19, 1950, Serial No. 201,548

3 Claims. (Cl. 24051.12)

The present invention relates to a luminaire for fuel pumps and more particularly to a luminaire for fuel pumps comprising an improved light source and support therefor.

Fuel pumps of the type employed by gasoline stations generally include a lighting means or luminaire positioned on top of or on an upper portion thereof either for providing suflicient light for servicing a vehicle with gasoline and/or illuminating an advertisement appearing thereon. A common existing type of such luminaire is characterized by a substantially ring-shaped frame of sufficient width for supporting substantially circular light transmissive plates, e. g. plates of glass, etc., at the axial openings thereof to provide an enclosure in which the light source is secured. The usual light source consists of an incandescent lamp. However, since the incandescent lamp is enclosed, it heats the enclosed space and the lamp operates at elevated temperature which is detrimental in that the incandescent lamp filament breaks in a short time necessitating frequent lamp replacement.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel pump luminaire with a light source which does not necessitate frequent replacement. It is another object of the present invention to provide a fuel pump luminaire with a light source which provides improved lighting. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fuel pump luminaire with an improved light source and support therefor. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a fuel pump luminaire with a light source which is not susceptible to the disadvantage of enclosed incandescent lamps and which provides a more uniform distribution of light. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter following and the drawings forming part hereof in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a front elevational view of a fuel pump luminaire according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of a lamp support according to the present invention, and

Fig. 3 illustrates a layout view of the lamp support of Fig. 2.

The present invention deals with a fuel pump luminaire comprising a fluorescent lamp as a light source and a support therefor which are enclosed in a substantially ringshaped frame having substantially circular light transmissive plates, e. g. glass plates, at the axial openings thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the luminaire of the present invention comprises a base 1 on which is mounted a substantially ring-shaped frame 2 having substantially circular light transmissive plates 3 and 4 at the axial openings thereof to form an enclosure containing a circular fluorescent lamp 5, e. g. a lamp having a light transmissive envelope in the form of a hollow torus, and a support 6 therefore for maintaining the lamp concentric with the frame 2 or parallel to either the plates 3 and 4 or the axial openings of said ring-shaped frame. In the posi tion above stated, it is apparent that the lamp 5 will proprovide a uniform distribution of light to the plates 3 United States Patent "0 and 4. The support 6 is particularly adapted to support the above shaped lamp and is preferably formed as an integral unit as shown by Fig. 3 from a sheet material, e. g. sheet metal, in such manner that it provides not only a support for the lamp as above mentioned but the combination of a lamp support and a housing for a transformer 7 which is essential for the operation of the fluorescent lamp 5. The lamp starter 8, lamp connector 9, cord 10, plug 11 and the wire circuit (not shown) are superfluous since they are not essential in order to set forth the present invention. The illustrated superfluous structures are included in order to show the manner in which such structures may be positioned in the operation of the luminaire of the present invention.

The lamp support 6 comprises an elongated U-shaped structure having a base portion 12 and opposite substantially parallel and perpendicular sides 13 and 14 which converge as at 15 to provide a housing for the transformer 7. The convergence of the sides 13 and 14 provides a seat for the lamp 5 between the lamp and transformer. Extending from the longitudinal edge of each of the con verged sides 13 and 14 are a pair of laterally spaced and parallel extensions or projecting arms 15, 16, 17 and 18 respectively. Each of the arms are substantially C- shaped so that when a pair of the arms are positioned opposite of each other with the C-shaped arms facing each other they embrace the lamp 5. The oppositely positioned arms are further secured at the free ends thereof, for example, by retaining means or bolts 19 and 20, to immobilize and clamp the lamp in desired position, i. e. parallel to the axial openings of the ring-shaped frame 2. In order to prevent the converged portions of sides 13 and 14 from spreading, rods 21 and 22 are each positioned oppositely of each other longitudinally of the converged sides 13 and 14 respectively and between said converged sides and the O-shaped arms or C-clamps. These rods are retained in position by, for example, bolting means 23 which connects the rods to each other and forces them toward each other thereby preventing spreading of the above mentioned converged sides.

The fluorescent lamp and support therefor as above described constitutes a compact unit which provides a fuel pump luminaire with the advantages that the lamp may be easily installed by means, for example of bolts 24 and 25, the lamp does not need frequent replacement since it is not susceptible to breakage as evidenced by the use of enclosed incandescent lamps, provides a more uniform lighting, and the said support including said transformer housing may be easily manufactured.

What 1 claim is:

l. A fluorescent lamp and support therefor comprising a lamp envelope substantially in the shape of a hollow torus, said support comprising an elongated U-shaped structure having a base portion and sides substantially perpendicular thereto, said sides extending substantially parallel of each other and then converging toward each other to form a rigid housing, a transformer constituting an operating means for said lamp within said housing, each of said converged portions of said sides having a pair of parallel laterally spaced C-shaped arms extending from the longitudinal edge thereof, each pair of said 6- shaped arms being positioned to face the other pair for embracing said lamp envelope, means interconnecting said converged portions, said envelope being seated within said G-shaped arms, the free ends of opposite pairs of said C-shaped arms being secured to each other to embrace said envelope and secure said envelope in fixed position.

2. A fuel pump luminaire comprising in combination an enclosure formed of a ring-shaped frame having light transmissive plates covering the axial openings thereof, a fluorescent lamp and support therefor positioned with- 3 in said enclosure, said lamp having an envelope substantially in the shape of a hollow torus and positioned parallel to the said light transmissive plates, said support comprising an elongated U-shapcd structure having substantially perpendicular sides and a base portion and said base portion being secured to said frame with said sides parallel to said plates, said sides extending substantially parallel of each other and then converging toward each other to form a rigid housing, a transformer constituting a lamp operating means within said housing, each of said converged portions having a pair of parallel laterally spaced C-shaped arms extending from the longitudinal edge thereof, each pair of said C-shaped arms being positioned to face the other pair for embracing said lamp envelope, means interconnecting said converged portions, said envelope being seated within said C-shaped arms, the free ends of opposite pairs of said C-shaped arms being secured to each other to embrace said envelope and secure said envelope in fixed position parallel to said light transmissive plates.

3. A fuel pump luminaire according to claim 2, comprising a pair of rods each positioned longitudinally against said converged sides between said converged sides and said C-shaped arms, said rods being secured to each other to prevent spreading of said converged sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,218,531 Dilthey Mar. 6, 1917 1,621,490 Bovey et a1 Mar. 22, 1927 1,718,316 Swenson June 25, 1929 1,973,455 Wilkinson Sept. 11, 1934 1,977,575 Drake Oct. 16, 1934 2,366,252 Geiger Jan. 2, 1945 l i l i l 

